New York Mets: Projecting the 2013 Opening Day Batting Order

The New York Mets will field a team in 2013 that looks very similar to that of last season's team which won 74 games.

The biggest difference, of course, will be the absence of reigning NL Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey, and the presence of Travis d'Arnaud and John Buck behind the plate—assuming the club can workout an extension with the right-handed pitcher.

In terms of power hitters, the Mets will be very thin, unless they are able to pull off a surprise trade for a legitimate power threat.

The team will be very dependent on David Wright, Lucas Duda and Ike Davis providing the pop in the middle of the order, with Ruben Tejada, Daniel Murphy and Kirk Nieuwenhuis setting the table.

There are still a few pieces that must be put into place, mainly whether they will re-sign Scott Hairston.

Daniel Murphy, Second Base

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It is not a knock on Daniel Murphy, who is a tireless worker and the type of hard-nosed player that every team needs, but I would have tried to trade him to an American League team such as the Tampa Bay Rays for a reliever.

In fact, I believe he is more valuable to an AL team who could use him at DH in addition to multiple positions. The Mets could have then moved JordanyValdespin to his natural position to fill the void.

Nevertheless, it appears the team has not pursued any sort of deal, which means Murphy will enter his age-28 season as the second baseman.

As a middle infielder, his offensive production is much more acceptable than as a corner infielder or outfielder.

His .291 AVG and 40 doubles are his most appealing characteristics, but his power took a step back from his previous seasons, and he needs to improve the .332 OBP for a top-of-the-order hitter.

Defensively, he is not a liability, but his 15 errors ranked among the worst in MLB. That will most likely improve as he gets more comfortable making the difficult plays such turning double plays and going to his right.

3. David Wright, Third Base

Fresh off his contract extension, which will likely enable him to retire in blue and orange, David Wright will take the field in 2013 as a 30-year-old veteran and the unquestioned leader on the team.

Wright finished sixth in the NL MVP voting, the fifth time he has been in the top 10 for his career.

He will most likely have another three or four elite seasons left in him, but it is a bit concerning that his numbers in the second half were considerably weaker than his first-half total.

The third baseman had a phenomenal April through June, which was unsustainable, but his OPS fell to .750 while he racked up 65 strikeouts.

He has always been a streaky hitter, but the fact is that Wright's numbers are always among the best at his position, aside from 2011, which was tainted due to his back injury.

The Virginia native is the franchise leader in several individual offensive categories and will most likely retire with his name atop the record books in every category aside from stolen bases and triples.

2013 will be another solid season for Wright, as he is the quintessential third-place hitter.